Somersworth woman injured after car lands in ditch

Thursday

May 29, 2008 at 3:15 AMMay 29, 2008 at 5:12 AM

By JOSH ROSENSON

ROCHESTER — A Somersworth woman was transported to Wentworth-Douglass Hospital with what firefighters said appeared to be minor injuries after her car went off the side of the road, about 10 feet down into a ditch Tuesday afternoon.

Rosemarie Carine, 65, was traveling east on Whitehouse Road around 1:40 p.m. when her black Toyota Scion went off the road, into the trees in a ditch. She was taken to Wentworth-Douglass by Frisbie Memorial Hospital paramedics.

"I came by and saw her down there. I tried to help keep her calm," good samaritan, Patricia Laprise, of Rochester said. "She said she felt dizzy, and the next thing she knew she was down there."

Laprise said Carine complained of a bump on her head and right knee. Laprise also helped collect Carine's belongings from the vehicle as they waited for emergency crews.

Fire Lt. Mark Dupuis said Carine was conscious and alert when she was collared, boarded and put into the ambulance.

"We needed to remove the trees around (the vehicle) to gain access to the door to get her out," Dupuis explained.

There was significant damage to the passenger side of the Scion, Dupuis said. There also was moderate front-end damage, but the air bags did not deploy.

After the vehicle was towed out, Dupuis said, firefighters cleaned up transmission fluid and made sure there were no other hazards beneath the vehicle. There also was the concern the vehicle may have tipped over when being towed out, but there were no problems.

Officer John Harding said speed, drugs and alcohol did not appear to be factors in the incident, and Carine was wearing her seat belt. The vehicle had to be towed, and a wrecker was on scene shortly after 2:15 p.m.

A call to Wentworth-Douglass regarding Carine's condition was not immediately returned Tuesday night.